Get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the Herald photographers' favorite photos and some images that didn’t fit into the paper. Find insight into how we practice our craft, and hear some of the interesting things that we come across in the course of our work.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Focusing on the Small Stuff

I was given the assignment to cover the Veterans Day Parade in Salinas, Calif. on November 11, 2012. The amount of participants in the parade was amazing as a variety of groups made their way down Main Street in Oldtown Salinas. The crowd of people lining the sidewalk cheered as veterans of varying ages passed, some walking and others riding on the back of old military vehicles. With the sheer number of people at the event, the scene was a little overwhelming. In these types of situations I find that slowing down and looking for small elements that come together to convey the story is key.

Near the end of my time making photographs I came across a group of young kids on the sidewalk waving flags. I made some frames of the three of them from behind as the parade passed by. Then the young boy covered his ears as the Patriot Guard Riders roared by on their Harleys. The background, with construction going on in the empty lot behind them, could have been a little cleaner, but I like the way the frame came together. (Photo David Royal/ Monterey County Herald)